Chapter 40

Time passed, and soon enough, the stems that had absorbed the solution began to turn black. When even the once-vibrant leaves started to wither, she felt a wave of relief that finally, the experiment seemed to be a success.

“It’s working…!”

Perhaps it was the memory of all those years spent on this work, but she felt a lump rise in her throat, her nose tingling with emotion. Still, she forced herself to remain calm, knowing that she’d have to repeat the process many times to be certain of the results.

Making sure the flask was tightly sealed to prevent any leakage of poison, she carefully returned the Dirkworth solution to its locked storage. Only then, feeling unburdened for the first time in a while, did Evelyn stretch and glance out the window.

She had been so absorbed in her experiments that she hadn’t noticed the sun was already sinking toward evening.

“I must have spent the whole day in the lab.”

She’d heard that foreign merchants would be setting up their stalls in the plaza, so she thought she might as well take the opportunity to look for rare herbs.

Brimming with anticipation, Evelyn grabbed her bag from the shelf and headed outside.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

The capital’s main plaza was lined with stalls overflowing with rare and exotic goods. Merchants from distant lands, seldom seen in these parts, had set up shop and crowds filled the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of their wares.

“My lady, you mustn’t get lost in the crowd.”

Evelyn, momentarily captivated by a display of foreign trinkets, snapped out of her reverie at her knight’s warning. Flushing with embarrassment, she replied with feigned indignation.

“Who do you think is going to get lost?”

Were it not for Gideon’s warning, she might well have been swept away by the throng and lost sight of him.

‘Yeah, I shouldn’t forget why I’m here.’

Today, she meant only to browse a few rare herbs and return to the marquis’s residence.

Resolving to stay focused, she made her way to the stalls where the herb vendors had gathered. But as she approached, her eyes widened in shock as the sight of a familiar woman selecting herbs made her stop in her tracks.

A cool breeze happened to blow just then, lifting a curtain of silvery-white hair.

‘Why is Dahlia here…?’

The woman before her should’ve been far away, residing in the northern estate of Lorenheim, not here in the capital. Considering her extraordinary divine power, the Grand Temple would never have allowed her to simply leave. For a fleeting moment, she couldn’t conceal her bewilderment as she stared at the woman before her.

Sensing the gaze, Dahlia turned, greeting her with a gentle, luminous smile.

“It’s been a while, Lady Inevasel.”

Evelyn, studying the woman who addressed her so familiarly, nodded back awkwardly.

“Yes, it has, Lady Lorenheim.”

Casting a curious glance at the heroine of the original story, she hesitated, then ventured to ask.

“What brings you to the capital?”

“I came to look for some herbs.”

Dahlia replied, her voice as warm and cordial as her smile.

‘Come to think of it, she often visited the herbal shops in the original story as well.’

The female lead, who had lived in the temple, would often gather herbs herself to care for the sick. With a heart as kind as the male lead’s, it was no surprise she would do such things.

“I see.”

Evelyn responded, her suspicion fading as she nodded more naturally.

Now it was Dahlia’s turn to ask in a friendly tone.

“Did you get back to the estate safely that day?”

At the mention of that day, Evelyn’s long lashes fluttered ever so slightly as she recalled the imprinting with Axion. Still, she managed to summon a calm smile.

“Of course. And did you find the person she was hoping to meet?”

For some reason, those words seemed to cloud Dahlia’s expression. Her face grew downcast, and after a moment, she shook her head with a quiet, forlorn look.

“I wish that were so, but it seems they left early that day.”

Who could she have been hoping to meet, for the female lead of the original story to look so downcast? As Evelyn pondered this, Dahlia’s clear, gentle voice drew her from her thoughts.

“I heard you have a botanical garden, my lady.”

Dahlia’s violet eyes, as clear and radiant as wisteria in bloom, sparkled with interest.

Flustered, Evelyn scratched her cheek.

‘Did Felix mention it to her?’

But seeing nothing but innocent curiosity on Dahlia’s face, she simply nodded in response.

“Yes. That’s right, though it’s hardly impressive. I’ve only recently revived it.”

These days, it served more as her private workshop than a true garden. Ever since her father’s passing, the place had been left untended, and no one had visited in quite some time.

Dahlia listened quietly, her eyes shining even brighter.

“In that case, may I visit sometime?”